Category: – Dr. John Elcik, IV

Mon 9/28/2020 3:51 PM

Judy,

My wife Pam has over 1,000 unsorted emails, and it drives me so crazy that at least once a year, I try to help her get organized. I, on the other hand, am super organized with hundreds of folders and subfolders for email. Yes, I know there is a search tool, but I derive some perverse sense of accomplishment by keeping everything neatly organized.

I, too, would be concerned with people walking in the street. My similar pet peeve is bicycles on the sidewalk. It is dangerous. ? They sneak up on us, hearing impaired, old people, rather than ride so we could see them coming.

Your “hilly-billies” comment has me lol. Do you remember the TV show, Sanford and Son? Our personal version of their “junkyard” hubcaps on the backyard fence is the attached photo. Lol.

Our kids have grown up with the clutter and are immune to it. But Pam’s sister gets on her case. Before the virus, Kathy would spend 3 out of every 4 weeks cruising, just enough time so Pam could recover from her “mothering.” Occasionally, I do “threaten” to call the fire department (lol), which always improves things. Pam is very active with volunteer work, so the least I can do is be supportive.

Thankfully, the kid’s homes are more organized than us. My son J.P. is getting married to Ana, a kindergarten teacher, on November 1st. He, too, is a teacher (high school biology and math). They have bought a house about an hour away, and he is learning what homeownership means, i.e., cutting the grass, etc. I tease that he has moved to Canada. ? My daughter Michelle, who works at Walgreens, is an avid Disney fan, and her house, just 10 minutes away, is nicely decorated so she can display her collectibles. Kathy is about the same distance away. Having family close is a blessing.

Disney, our favorite vacation destination, is 3 hours away. Michelle and Pam will drive to and from Orlando for a day trip. The bottom line is that I’m the lazy one in the family. I encourage them to go without me. Dog sitting is my excuse. And it has been working.

I used to collect cars. Never real cars, just the diecast toys. I was the Director of Marketing for a software company misnamed CARS information systems. We had nothing to do with autos, but I decided to embrace the issue and used toy, diecast cars from Maisto as promotions. The customers loved it.

As for being lazy, it comes with retirement. My brother Jim just retired and sent me that quote about procrastination, how good it is. “It gives us something to do tomorrow and nothing to do today.” Of course, my response was that I like to say, “mañana” as it is the day that never comes. Lol.

Yes, the debates. I am ready.

John, IV

9/28/2020 3:51 PM

Judy,

My wife Pam has over 1,000 unsorted emails, and it drives me so crazy that at least once a year, I try to help her get organized. I, on the other hand, am super organized with hundreds of folders and subfolders for email. Yes, I know there is a search tool, but I derive some perverse sense of accomplishment by keeping everything neatly organized.